A podcast based on a Summer course, “Discovering the Old Testament” offered through Stanford University. The podcast takes a closer look at the history, culture, language, archaeology, and impact of one of the West’s most influential books.

Part 50: The Intertestamental PeriodDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 50 We come to the end of this series with a quick look ahead at the Intertestamental Period, where the canonical Torah was tested in the forum of social upheaval, war, and sectarian strife. We &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-50-the-intertestamental-period/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 49: Scripture and ScholarshipDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 49 Modern biblical scholarship has yielded tremendous insights; no study of the Bible is complete without referring to its insights. And yet it brings with it certain blind spots that cannot be overlooked. In this &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-49-scripture-and-scholarship/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 48: Building the Hebrew CanonDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 48 Continuing the discussion after the canonization of the Torah, we learn how two more sections, the Prophets and the Writings, came to be part of the Hebrew Scriptures. We also learn why some of &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-48-building-the-hebrew-canon/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 47: Ezra, the Torah, and the Beginning of ScriptureDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 47 One of the most radical changes in Jewish religion came near the end of the Old Testament period, when Ezra the Scribe mandated the study of the newly-canonized Torah as a religious act, and &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-47-ezra-the-torah-and-the-beginning-of-scripture/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 46: The ChroniclerDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 46 The Books of Chronicles often get short shrift because they present a sanitized version of King David, but combined with the allied books of Ezra and Nehemiah, they provide a basis for debating a &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-46-the-chronicler/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 45: The Second TempleDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 45 With the end of captivity in Babylon came new opportunities and new challenges. Regaining ancestral lands and the right to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple did not mean the task would be easy. Politics and &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-45-the-second-temple/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 44: The Minor Prophets, ContinuedDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 44 More of the minor prophets and the beginnings of late-Jewish and early Christian apocalypticism. Plus, some stuff about Jonah and that whole unfortunate incident with the giant fish and how it might not be &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-44-the-minor-prophets-continued/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 43: The Minor ProphetsDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 43 A brief look at two of the more famous Minor Prophets, Amos and Hosea, who were roughly contemporary with the prophet Isaiah. We learn how they spoke to their time, and the picture they &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-43-the-minor-prophets/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 42: ProverbsDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 42 A book of worldly wisdom; how to live well, to lead a good life, and how everything works out, except when it doesn&#8217;t. Take a look at the ancient Israelite version of ancient Near &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-42-proverbs/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen:

Part 41: The PsalmsDiscovering the Old Testament, Part 41 Still in regular use after more than two thousand years, the Psalms have an immediacy and directness that makes them some of the most important parts of the Biblical corpus. They also have also &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.lafkospress.com/part-41-the-psalms/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>Listen: